Phenolic composition, volatile profile, and in vitro antioxidative potential of hydroethanolic flower extracts of Sambucus nigra L. as a valuable food ingredient

Acantholippia salsoloides (Verbenaceae) is an aromatic plant widespread in the Andean region. The infusion (leaves and flowers) is widely used as a digestive stimulant as well as for the treatment of various diseases in traditional medicine. A. salsoloides attributes its common name “rica-rica” to the fresh and sweet fragrance of the plant. In this work, 2 different polar extracts and the essential oil of a selected rica-rica population were studied. The phenolic composition was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography diode array detector; the essential oil profile was determined by gas-chromatography ion-trap mass spectrometry/flame ionization detection. For all extracts, the antibacterial potential was performed by in vitro assays; the antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibition were determined in decoction and hydroethanolic extracts. The volatile profile allowed the identification of 26 volatile compounds, β-thujone (84%) being the major one in this rica-rica population. Eighteen phenolic compounds were identified; isoferulic acid (16%-18%) and cynaroside (45%-47%) were the larger ones. In a general way, the hydroethanolic extract was more active against Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus luteus (minimum inhibitory concentrations= 0.3- 1.3 mg/mL). Both polar extracts have strong antiradical activities although decoction extract proved to be more active against DPPH· (half-maximal inhibitory concentration [IC50] =36 µg/mL) and O2•− (IC50 =28 µg/mL) while hydroethanolic extract shows higher action over α-glucosidase (IC50 =217 µg/mL). The results suggest that A. salsoloides leaves and flowers may be an interesting source of natural antioxidants, antidiabetics, or antimicrobials, and could be used in dietary supplements, medicinal products and pharmaceutical formulations.

Aphyllocladus spartioides Wedd. is a native and aromatic herb used in traditional medicine, however it is still poorly investigated. In this work, the volatile profile of A. spartioides growing in Hornillos-Northwest Argentina was determined by GC/MS/FID and the phenolic compounds of hydroethanolic and decoction extracts were analyzed by HPLC-DAD. The antibacterial potential, antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibition activity were checked by in vitro assays. The volatile profile allowed the identification of 68 compounds, being α-pinene and cadinene the main ones. Eighteen phenolics were identified, isorhamnetin derivatives and different phenolic acid derivatives were found in higher amounts, mainly in the hydroethanolic extract. A concentration-dependent activity was noticed against DPPH· , O2·-, ·NO and α-glucosidase, these activities being reported for the first time. Hydroethanolic extract was most active against DPPH· , · NO and α-glucosidase (IC50 = 79, 206 and 181 μg/ml). Decoction extract proved to be better against O2·- (IC50 = 20 μg/ml). Regarding the antibacterial activity, hydroethanolic extract was more active compared with decoction and essential oil. MICs of 0.3 - 0.6 mg/ml were obtained against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Micrococcus luteus. Results suggest that the extracts of A. spartioides from Northwest Argentina may be interesting to use as a source of natural antioxidants/antimicrobials for pharmaceutical incorporations or food supplementation.

Seasonal variation of bioactive properties and phenolic composition of Cynara cardunculus var. altilis

Prunus avium L. by-products, such as stems, leaves, and flowers, are used in folk medicine to prevent and treat some diseases. However, their phenolic composition and in vitro bioactivities against tumor cells are poorly known. In this work, we compared the phenolic profile and the biological potential of aqueous infusions and hydroethanolic extracts of P. avium leaves, stems, and flowers from Saco cultivar, collected from the Fundão region (Portugal). Among the fifty-two phenolic compounds tentatively identified by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn, the hydroxycinnamic acids were the most abundant. Both extracts of stems revealed a higher activity against DPPH•. Meanwhile, hydroethanolic extracts from stems and flowers and aqueous infusions of flowers were the most effective in inhibiting the growth of the human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells at concentrations above 200 μg/mL. More detailed knowledge about the phenolic composition and health-promoting properties of Portuguese P. avium by-products allows for increasing the biological and commercial value of these bio-wastes, which may have a positive impact on food and pharmaceutical industries, as on the valorization of the local economy.

The bioactive properties of underutilized corks such as Quercus cerris cork and planted Quercus suber cork in the Eastern Mediterranean are not well-known but are crucial in developing lignocellulosic biorefineries. To assess their biological potential, hydroethanolic cork extracts of Quercus cerris and Quercus suber were analyzed for phenolic composition, antioxidant, antiproliferative, antimicrobial activities, and hepatoxicity, as well as NO-production inhibition. Here, we show that a mild hydroethanolic extraction of Q. cerris and Q. suber corks yielded 3% phenolic extracts. The phenolic composition was similar in both cork extracts, with phenolic acids and ellagitannins as the primary compounds. The bioactivity of hydroethanolic cork extracts from Q. cerris surpassed that of Q. suber and showed effectiveness against all cancer cell lines tested. This first comprehensive study on the bioactivities of different corks involves detailed characterizations of phenolic compounds of cork extracts using UPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn, evaluations of the antioxidant properties with TBARS and OxHLIA methods, evaluation of antiproliferative activity against gastric (AGS), lung (NCI-H460), colon (CaCo2), and breast cancer (MCF7) cell lines, as well as evaluations of hepatotoxicity and NO-production inhibition. The findings from this study will help bolster the potential of using underutilized cork-rich barks as a valuable resource in bark-based biorefineries.

In this work, the chemical compositions and texture characteristics of three native Romanian wine grape varieties (Fetească regală, Fetească alba, and Fetească neagră) were studied. We assessed the distinct characteristics directly linked to their phenolic compositions, volatile profiles, and mechanical properties and compared these characteristics with those of Pinot noir grapes. The effect of the growing zone was also evaluated. Various spectrophotometric indices directly related to the phenolic compositions of berry skins and seeds were determined. The detailed phenolic compositions (anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamoyl tartaric acids, and stilbenes) of the skins were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography methods. Free and bound volatile compounds in the berries were quantified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The textural properties of the skins and seeds were measured by instrumental texture analysis. The results showed high diversity among the varieties and zones that affected the enological potential. Among the white varieties, Fetească albă grapes could be less susceptible to browning as a consequence of their lower trans-caffeoyltartaric acid concentration, whereas Fetească regală grapes from Cluj had the highest concentrations of total free and bound volatile compounds, particularly terpenes and norisoprenoids. Among the red varieties, Fetească neagră was identified as a promising variety to be exploited in the future for its particular phenolic characteristics, particularly those grapes grown in Mica. Nevertheless, Fetească neagră grapes grown in Cluj had the highest total glycosidically bound terpene concentrations. Finally, differences in the mechanical and/or acoustic properties of the skins and seeds could strongly influence the kinetics and completeness of phenolic compound extractions.

This study on Foeniculum vulgare Mill., derived from seeds collected in Meknes (Morocco), evaluates in vitro and in silico the therapeutic potential of its extracts and essential oil through a comprehensive analysis of its phytochemical composition, as well as its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Aqueous extracts (E0), hydroethanolic extract (E1) obtained via Soxhlet, decoction (E2), and essential oil (EO) obtained through hydrodistillation were analyzed using HPLC/UV-ESI-MS and GC-MS, revealing a richness in phenolic and terpenic compounds. The quantification of total polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins in aqueous and organic extracts was performed using spectrophotometric methods. Antioxidant activity was assessed through three methods: DPPH, FRAP, and Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC). The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil and decoction was evaluated by microdilution in microplate assays. The aqueux extract was dominated by butyl ferulate (14.33%), while hydroethanolic extract contained chlorogenic acid (14.79%) and quercetin-3-glucuronide (13%). The extract (E2) was characterized by dihydrocaffeic acid (11.25%) and 3-O-caffeoylshikimic acid (11.08%), whereas the EO was primarily composed of fenchone (24.72%), trans-anethole (22.22%), and limonene (20.48%). Antioxidant assays (DPPH/FRAP/TAC) demonstrated decreasing efficacy as follows: EO exhibited the highest efficiency (IC50 = 51.45 μg/mL), followed by E1 (93.71 μg/mL), E0 (212.86 μg/mL), and E2 (397.41 μg/mL), confirming a correlation between phenolic composition and antioxidant activity. Furthermore, antimicrobial tests highlighted a pronounced fungicidal effect against Candida albicans (MIC = 3.13 mg/mL) and Aspergillus niger (6.25 mg/mL), contrasting with a more moderate inhibition of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Molecular docking simulations identified stable interactions between chlorogenic acid, quercetin-3-glucuronide, and microbial proteases, suggesting a synergistic inhibitory mechanism. This research validates the potential of F. vulgare as a source of bioactive molecules with promising applications in phytotherapy for managing oxidative stress and fungal infections, while emphasizing the need for clinical studies to confirm these effects in vivo.

Pterospartum tridentatum is an edible endemic plant common in Portugal. Its flowers are used in culinary and are part of the popular medicine owing to its therapeutic properties. In this study, P. tridentatum flower infusion and hydroethanolic extracts were characterized concerning their phenolic composition and biological potential. By high-performance liquid chromatography method coupled to a diode array detector analysis were detected 13 phenolics. Genistein was the major one. Concerning the biological potential, the hydroethanolic extract was the most active against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl● and also as α-glucosidase inhibitor, while the infusion proved to be a remarkable free radical scavenger. Concerning human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells, it was observed that both extracts displayed dose-dependent cytotoxicity on the viability of Caco-2 cells, presenting cytotoxic selectivity for these cancer cells when compared to the NHDF normal cell line. Additionally, they also showed protective effects against oxidative stress induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide on Caco-2 cells. The obtained results suggest that these extracts may be interesting to enrich nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and food industries; however, more studies need to be done for their inclusion in pharmaceutical preparations and/or food additives. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Pterospartum tridentatum is an endemic plant commonly used in folk medicine due to its depurative and hypoglycaemic properties. For this reason, we decided to determine the phenolic content of infusion and hydroethanolic extracts of P. tridentatum and their biological potential. The obtained results proved that P. tridentatum extracts are a rich source of bioactive compounds and possess great antioxidant and antidiabetic activities, ability to protect human erythrocytes against oxidative damage, inhibiting hemolysis, hemoglobin oxidation, and lipid peroxidation, and to interfere with Caco-2 cells growth and to protect these cells when subject to tert-butyl hydroperoxide oxidative stress conditions.

Phenolic composition and in vitro bioactive and enzyme inhibitory properties of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) plant extracts

Application of solvent pH under pressurized conditions using accelerated solvent extraction and green solvents to extract phytonutrients from wild berries

The main purpose of our research is the evaluation of the efficacity of solvent polarity on phenolic composition, as well as the antibacterial, and antioxidant activities of extract of Moroccan Mentha aquatica L., leaves. To attempt these objectives, the HPLC-DAD was used to identify the biomolecules. The total amount of phenolic and flavonoid content was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum trichloride processes as well as the DPPH, RP, and TAC tests were used to evaluate the antioxidant capabilities. In addition, by employing both in vitro and in silico analysis through the microdilution method, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the extracts were assessed against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Furthermore, the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis indicated that all extracts of M. aquatica were abundant in noteworthy phytochemical compounds, especially gallic acid, vanillic acid, chlorobenzoic acid, quercetin, and kaempferol. Furthermore, the results indicated that the total phenolic content was higher in hydroethanolic extract (62.19 ± 1.19 mg GAE/g DW) in contrast to the acetonic and aqueous extracts (22.22 ± 0.64, and 22.44± 0.57 mg GAE/g DW) respectively. Similarly, the aqueous ethanol extract contained the greatest flavonoid concentration, with values of 29.15± 0.09 mg QE/g DW when compared with the other extracts. The seam extract poses excellent antioxidant power with an IC50 of 0.06 ± 0.00 mg/mL for the DPPH test, and lower RP with EC50 of 80± 0.00 µg/ml when compared with acetonic and aqueous extract (370± 0.00 and 460± 0.01 µg/mL) respectively. Moreover, the hydroethanolic extract has a high level of TAC 75.09± 2.00 mg EAA/g DW, followed by aqueous extract carrying a value of 28.53 ± 1.36 mg EAA/g DW. The antibacterial capacity is ranged between 0.78 ± 0.05 mg/mL and 12.60 ± 0.00 mg/L. The results of the in-silico study demonstrated that quercetin, vanillic acid, and naringenin components contribute to the antioxidant capability. While gallic acid, kaempferol, and quercetin components are attributed to the antibacterial capacity.

Greek oregano and common oregano were compared in respect of the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of the corresponding essential oils and hydroethanolic extracts in relation with their chemical profile. The chemical composition of essential oils was determined by GC-MS and GC-FID, while extracts (phenolic acids and flavonoids fractions) were analyzed by HPLC-DAD. Based on given volatiles, the investigated subspecies represented two chemotypes: a carvacrol/γ-terpinene/p-cymene type in the case of Greek oregano and a sabinyl/cymyl type rich in terpinen-4-ol in common oregano. Within non-volatile phenolic compounds, rosmarinic acid appeared to dominate in both subspecies. Lithospermic acid B, chlorogenic acid and isovitexin were present only in Greek oregano extracts. However, the total content of flavonoids was higher in common oregano extracts. The essential oil and extract of Greek oregano revealed visibly stronger antibacterial activity (expressed as MIC and MBC) than common oregano, whereas the antioxidant potential (determined by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP) of these extracts was almost equal for both subspecies. In the case of Origanum plants, the potential application of essential oils and extracts as antiseptic and antioxidant agents in the food industry should be preceded by subspecies identification followed by recognition of their chemotype concerning both terpene and phenolics composition.

Phenolic composition and antioxidant potential in Turkish einkorn, emmer, durum, and bread wheat grain and grass

Epidemiological studies indicate that consumption of fruits and vegetables has the ability to inhibit the damaging activities of free radicals in the human body. Eight edible leafy vegetables of Ghana namely: Xanthosoma sagittifolium, Hibiscus Sabdariffa, Solanum macrocarpon, Talinum triangulare, Corchorus olitorius,Laportea aestuans, Ipomoea batatas, and Amaranthus cruentus were assessed for their antioxidant properties. The experimental results indicate that hydro-ethanol is an effective solvent for extracting the phytoconstituents of the leafy vegetables. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total phenol content (TPC) in the methanol extracts (METE) and hydro-ethanol extracts (HETE) from the selected leafy vegetables within the measured concentration range (0.1 - 3.0 mg/ml) decreased in the order X. sagittifolium > I. batatas > L. aestuans > T. Triangulare > H. Sabdariffa > C. olitorius > S. macrocarpon > A. cruentus. A high and positive correlation was observed between TPC and TAC in both the METE and HETE from all the selected leafy vegetables. The selected leafy vegetables showed strong antioxidant properties with respect to their free radical scavenging activity and Fe3+ reduction ability with hydro-ethanol extracts indicating higher antioxidant potential compared with their respective methanol extracts. Key words: Hydro-ethanol extract, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity, total antioxidant capacity, reducing power, edible leafy vegetables.

Few studies were performed with wild plants, and researches are important to plants valorization and conservation. In this work we evaluated the nutritional composition, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of an unconventional food plant, mostly considered as a weed (Rumex obtusifolius). All the analyses were performed in leaf and root: moisture, ashes, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, pH and total acidity. Phenolic, flavonoids, flavonols, antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP) were quantified in aqueous, ethanolic and hydroethanolic extracts. Results show that hydroethanolic extract from root presented more bioactive compounds (p<0.05) and more antioxidant activity by ABTS and FRAP assay; ethanolic and hydroethanolic extract from root presented non-significant difference (p>0.05) by DPPH assay. Pearson’s correlation coefficients proved that antioxidant capacity is related to the presence of bioactive compounds in the root and leaf of Rumex obtusifolius. Using principal component analysis the extracts were classified in tree groups according to extraction potential, been the root hydroethanolic and ethanolic extracts the highest. This unconventional spread worldwide plant presents a great content of nutritional composition and has the potential to be used in human consumption, providing nutrients and bioactive compounds with high antioxidant activity.